What a great game by Boston, and it was a good series, with one game I can’t comprehend, going 18 innings.

The Red Sox and the Dodgers, those Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, played a baseball series that tugs at your heart, and makes you hate everything you like about baseball, because it’s going to kill baseball if it’s just video games.

I tried to play close attention to the series, and watched two games in full between teams that I really don’t like, especially to the last three innings in the last game, when I ducked out to a local place because I didn’t pay to watch it live. What I heard was the late Sunday NFL game.

Holy crap. I made a post for the first time in forever, the Yankees lost. I don’t make a post after making the last one, and the Yankees win. So, I don’t make another post, thinking I’m on to something about me not posting, and Boston scores a fajillion runs, as if they were playing a little league team. Elimination time for the Yankees, with Carston Charles Sabathia looking to hold the Red Sox to what, less than double digits? I ain’t superstitious, but Porcello is gonna cross that path.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Yankees manager Aaron Boone faced each other on the field for the first time May 1st 2001 (I may be wrong.. I had to dig for a while to find it..), when the Dodgers lost to the Reds 7-6, on a three for four performance by Boone including a home run off Eric Gagne, the beginning of history between them as they face off for the first time as managers in the post season. Cora was with the Dodgers in ’04 and Boone sat that season out, injured, so neither figured in the last post-season meeting between the Sox and Yanks. But they will figure tonight, along with the brilliant and impossibly thin figure of Chris Sale on the bump for the home team Boston Red Sox, and J.A. Happ getting the start for the visiting New York Yankees.

This year’s story was the Sox outscoring the Bombers 116 to 102 heads-up, and Boston winning 10 to the Yankees 9. Perhaps most important is that in the height of the race in August, the Sox swept the Yanks four games at Fenway 28-13 including winning the last game in extras, where after putting their proverbial foot down, and won 108 games, never having to look back. The Yankees knocked off the A’s in their play-in game, and managed to win 100 games in the reggalar, third place behind Boston and defending World Champion Houston’s 103 win tally. The Yanks also slugged the most home runs ever in a season (267), while Boston ran away with runs (876) (yanks were 2nd at 851) hits (1509) and doubles (355): +56 for hits on the Cubbies.. Talk about two awesome offenses.

Houston posted a major’s-best 3.3 RA/G, and it’s not even close. What is most remarkable, and you really should go look this up, is that they did it with only 22 pitchers for the season. The Sox and Yanks were both above league average, but think about that Houston rotation and pen. Twenty two pitchers for a whole season? With a staff ERA of 3.11?

Anyway, now it is on to the two best teams in the Beast with a combined 208 regular season wins facing off for the short race to three wins. Line-ups when I have them. It’s important enough to say it again: this the first post-season meeting between these two arch rivals since the epic series of 2004. Wasn’t that something to behold? Comment away.

Nothing like the long ball to get you back into a game. I have not watched much baseball the last two years because I’ve been busy coaching baseball for my son and daughter. My son is getting old enough now to appreciate watching the game at a different level. I’m not saying I’m going to blog as prolifically as I did back in the heyday of this site, but it may be time to start spreading some thought across the page again.

Ortiz on the way out, a rotation of Price and a bunch of bailing wire, an uncertain offense with a couple of exciting variables. It’s enough to make a Sox fan tune in for one more year of…whatever it turns out to be. All the best to YF’s and SF’s everywhere as we strap in for the quite possibly mediocre marathon of 2016. Give ’em hell, Papi. Could we not do all the retirement gift stuff, though? No? Great.

Toronto has a 1-run lead over the Yankees (3 GB).
Kansas City has a 12-run lead over the Twins (10 GB).
Texas has a 1-run lead over the Astros, but the Astros have a man on 3rd (0.5 GB).

The Mets have a 10-run lead over the Nats (8.5 GB).
St. Louis has a 1-run lead over the Pirates (3 GB).
The Dodgers have an 8-run lead over the Giants (7.5 GB).

And then there’s the wild card, where the Yankees (+2.5) are just ahead of Houston, who are just ahead of the Twins (1.5 GB), who are just ahead of the Angels (3.5 GB), who are just ahead of Cleveland (5 GB).

In the NL, the Pirates (+4) are ahead of the Cubs, who are really far in front of the Giants (7.5 GB). Holy heck, that NL Central.

Dave Dombrowski is out of his Tigers job and in as President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox. Cherington was offered the opportunity to stay on as GM. He declined, but will assist Dombrowski during the transition.

At the ides of June, the Red Sox had lost 7 in a row, were 11 under .500 and 9 back in the division. In the 3.5 weeks and 21 games since, they have gone 14-7, winning series against the Royals, Rays, Blue Jays (3 W’s in a 4-gamer), Astros, and Marlins (they did lose a series against Baltimore–of course). They are 4 under .500 and 5 back (probably 5.5 at day’s end since the Yanks lead 4-2 over the A’s in the 7th), and currently the hottest they’ve been all year, having finally won 4 in a row for the first time this season. It would take continued excellent play to make this season more interesting, but at least the season’s not over before the All-Star Break. This weekend at Fenway Park, they can narrow the gap between them and the Yankees in this last “first half” series.

The Yankees are in first place and look to banish the Red Sox further into the cellar and widen their 2.5-game division lead while the other three AL East teams play first-place clubs (Nats @ O’s, BJ’s @ Royals, Astros @ Rays).

Upcoming pitching matchups:

Pineda vs Buchholz
Nova vs Rodriguez
Eovaldi vs Miley

Getting swept would put the Sox back where they were a month ago RE: division crown hopes. Sweeping would get them within reach. Should be an interesting series.

10 games under cellar dwellers will face 8 games over division leaders in this 3-gamer at the Trop. Rick “ouch, that contract extension” Porcello will face Alex “my last start was really good” Colome to kick us off. The Red Sox just lost a series against the O’s again, and have guaranteed themselves a sub-.500 first half. Go Blue Jays.